Ecosystems & Environment

Heike Buecking

April 4, 2021

Heike Buecking

Plants are metaorganisms that engage in intimate associations with a wide diversity of microorganisms. Many of these microorganisms are beneficial and help plants to overcome a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses. In our research, we focus particularly on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and nitrogen fixing rhizobia bacteria. AM fungi played a significant role during land plant evolution and form close interactions with the roots of 70% of land plants, including many agronomically important species, such as corn, soybean, or wheat. AM fungi increase the nutrient acquisition of for example phosphate, nitrogen, sulfur, and potassium from the soil, and…

Keri Jacobs smiling.

Jan. 20, 2021

Keri L. Jacobs

Dr. Keri L. Jacobs is associate professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri and holds the Partridge Chair in Cooperative Leadership. In 2021, she was named Executive Director of the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL). In her outreach role, Jacobs partners with cooperatives and their associations to create and deliver director and talent development programs in cooperative governance and finance, and to engage with cooperative boards and leadership in strategic planning. Through collaboration with industry and key stakeholders, she pursues research that seeks to inform and elevate producers’ opportunities through collective action within their…

Morgan Davis

June 4, 2020

Morgan P. Davis

Davis’ research is centered around soil biogeochemistry in the context of ecological sustainability. The objective of his research is investigating nutrient and energy cycles in both managed and natural ecosystems. This work provides insights for improving sustainability and contributes to foundational biogeochemistry knowledge. He is particularly interested in nitrogen and carbon transformations in forested and agronomic ecosystems. Specific research interests include the following: soil greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, soil organic matter, cover crops, tillage management, nitrate leaching, microbial communities, denitrification, indirect nitrous oxide emissions, and riparian buffers. Educational background Courses taught…

Shuangyu Xu smiling.

Sep. 3, 2019

Shuangyu Xu

Educational background Courses taught…

Samniqueka Halsey; glasses; grey suit coat

July 15, 2019

Samniqueka Joi-Weaver Halsey

Educational background Courses taught…

April 7, 2019

Lauren Pile

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Portrait of Robin Rotman

Sep. 26, 2018

Robin M. Rotman

Educational background…

Heng Ye posing.

Sep. 8, 2018

Heng Ye

Educational background…

Chris Topp smiling.

Aug. 21, 2018

Chris Topp

Educational background…

Portrait of Kerry Clark

Feb. 26, 2018

Kerry Clark

Kerry Clark was a soybean breeder from 1993-2012 and continues to work on the Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab, which is trying to improve soybean yields and production across sub-Saharan Africa. She runs a mechanization development and fabrication training team that includes three equipment designers from Ghana. This team has trained over 200 manufacturers in 12 African countries and has helped build service provision businesses so that small-holder farmers can have access to modern farming methods. Clark is also part of a multi-state collaboration working to improve available cover crop varieties for U.S. farmers. She teaches soil pedology,…